Carroll Chemistry Newsletter - Spring 2023

Dear Carroll College Chemistry Alumni and Supporters:

We hope you and your family are healthy and enjoying the lengthening daylight hours as we head into these final weeks of March. We wanted to update you on what has been happening in our department.

Course-based Research is Foundational to the Value Proposition of Carroll College

Course-based research is foundational to the value proposition of Carroll College because it equips all of our students with the knowledge and skills to tackle the real-world challenges they will face after graduating. These challenges will most likely be open-ended, loosely defined, and multi-disciplinary, and employers are looking for students with the skills and knowledge to address these challenges creatively. Course-based research provides all students with structured opportunities for project design and execution, proposal writing, and communication of results to the broader Carroll community at the Student Undergraduate Research Festival. 

"The course-based research in the Integrated Lab gave me the unique opportunity to participate in graduate-level research projects under the guidance of Carroll College professors. The interdisciplinary nature of the course provided me with a broad base of technical skills while allowing me the freedom to develop and implement scientific ideas in all facets of chemistry. Additionally, I believe the ability for students to take ownership over projects provides an excellent professional foundation for integrity, collaboration, and knowledge management, all of which are applicable in future careers." ~ Kelby Depner, Chemistry, Class of 2017

The research conducted by the Chemistry, Biology, and Environmental Sciences faculty at Carroll College is unique because it is student-centered. We design projects to help students grow as people and scientists and start on a path to contributing to the treasury of human knowledge. We are directly supporting the mission of the college by “Instilling an enduring wonder for knowledge that will prepare students for leadership and their chosen vocations.” Because research is such an important educational tool, we not only conduct independent summer research with students, but we have also incorporated it into classes across our curriculum.

"I loved my course-based research experience in Cell and Molecular Neuroscience last semester. I learned how to collaborate with my peers about unexplored avenues of research and treasured the process of inventing new ways to study genes in Drosophila melanogaster. The Advanced Research Experience (ARE) allowed me to practice a greater amount of autonomy in my studies, and I would absolutely recommend the class to any student!"  ~ Alyssa Gnoyski, Biology, Class of 2023

The faculty at Carroll College incorporate research experiences directly in our curriculum because research experiences have been shown to result in a statistically significant increase in student learning outcomes, improved understanding of STEM concepts, and gains in positive attitudes towards science. Notably, course-based research has also been shown to result in an increase in persistence for non-traditional and underrepresented minority student STEM majors, which is another important way faculty support the college’s mission of “Serving all with humility, especially our neighbors who are poor and marginalized.” Course-based research is distinct from our traditional summer-based research in the number of students it impacts. By codifying research into our curriculum we ensure that all students experience the benefits of research. 

"While lectures taught me content and labs elucidated technique, course-based research fostered my confidence in applying previously learned techniques, problem-solving in developing new procedures, and creativity in approaching and presenting the experiment to peers and mentors. I’m thankful for student undergraduate course-based research because my team’s laughter accompanied as many failures as successes, and it’s hard to imagine developing my personal research style any other way."  ~ Julianna Breit, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Class of 2023

Carroll’s motto: Non scholae sed vitae, translated, "Not for school, but for life" is a constant reminder that we must prepare our students to enter the workforce ready to tackle the actual challenges posed by their chosen disciplines. The Chemistry Department, in collaboration with the Office of Institutional Advancement (OIA), is working to create new endowed faculty chair positions to fund student research experiences and conference travel. The endowed faculty professorships will allow us to increase the number and quality of student research experiences we provide both in and outside of the classroom.

You can help provide these impactful opportunities for Carroll College students. To learn more about supporting student research opportunities and student scholarships, or creating an endowed faculty professorship, please contact Chris Aimone, Vice President for Institutional Advancement, at caimone@carroll.edu, 406-447-4445.

Welcome Professor Beck Coates

The Chemistry Department has grown over the past few years and we wanted to update you on the faculty you know and the faculty you may not yet have met. There are currently six chemistry faculty.

Dr. Becky Coates, visiting assistant professor, joined the faculty at Carroll College in fall of 2021 after working as a process development scientist in the biomedical industry at BioFire Diagnostics. Dr. Coates also came to Carroll with seven years of teaching experience at Westminster College and Central Washington University. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Utah and was a 2008 Carroll College graduate.

Dr. Coates is teaching advanced inorganic chemistry, chemistry for nursing students, and general chemistry. Her independent research program will start this summer focusing on sequestering metal pollutants from aqueous environments by selective ligand complexation. Professor Coates will also be introducing computational chemistry to Carroll for her independent research and in the Integrated Lab next academic year.

When Becky isn't working with students in the Fortin Science Center, she can be found mountain biking, climbing, skiing, and paddleboarding in the beautiful Montana wilderness with her family. 

Saints Giving Day - Help Support Student Conference Travel to Present their Research

Due to the incredible quality of their work, Carroll College chemistry research students are regularly accepted to present their work at regional and national conferences. Presenting at conferences gives our students an advantage after graduating from Carroll because they have had the opportunity to develop their scientific communication skills, learn about cutting edge research, network with the professional community, and strengthen their resume/CV by including these events as evidence of research dissemination to the scientific community.

Recent conferences this fall alone include the American Chemical Society (ACS) Western conference in Las Vegas, the fall 2022 ASA/CSSA/SSSA International conference in Baltimore, and the fall 2022 Murdoch College Science Research Conference in Vancouver, WA.

One of our recent student attendees reflected on the significance of their participation in a conference:

This experience truly opened my eyes to what the future of so many areas of study will look like, from medicine to bioinformatics to astrophysics. Being surrounded by great people who want to improve the world around us was inspiring, and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this conference as a representative of Carroll College’s undergraduate research program." ~ Matt Cortner, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Class of 2023

Faculty members of the Chemistry Department plan to continue to support these experiences for our students with the next planned conference attendance in March 2024 at the National ACS meeting in New Orleans.

We believe strongly that these transformative research experiences are one of the most critical factors in our high medical school acceptance rate and 100% graduate school acceptance rate. These and other impressive student outcomes make Carroll an attractive choice for prospective students.

Chemistry Student Conference Travel has been selected as one of the programs in this year’s Carroll College Saints Giving Day. This fundraising campaign will last 24 hours starting at noon on Thursday, March 23 through noon on Friday, March 24. All of the funds raised for the Chemistry Department will go directly to supporting student conference travel.

You will be able to support our students, beginning at noon on Thursday, directly through the Saints Giving Day Challenge page by clicking on Chemistry Undergraduate Challenge. Our students thank you for your support!

Keeping Updated on News from the Chemistry Department

Did you miss our fall 2022 newsletter? Previous newsletters and press regarding the Chemistry Department can be found on our Chemistry News page. In addition, regular updates regarding our department can be found on our Instagram & Past Events page.

We are extremely grateful for the outreach and engagement we have seen from our alumni and supporters. Many of the transformative experiences we provide our students are made possible through your generosity. We also appreciate your feedback, insights, and ideas, which are important for the future success of our programs.

Please feel free to reach out to any of us via email and be sure to follow us on Instagram @Carroll_College_Chemistry.
 
Sincerely,
 
The Carroll College Chemistry Faculty